Heat exchanger for bathing shower

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a heat exchanger for bathing shower comprising a heat exchanging slab and two sealing covers. The heat exchanging slab is extruded by alloy metal material into simple overall structure to reduce processing steps, total manufacturing cost and selling price. A close water circulation entirety with circulation directing means is created therein to improve heat exchanging efficiency and energy saving effect of the water heater. Thereby, purchasing intention of consumers is increased in consequence of satisfaction of the purchasing ability. Thus, not only the speed and range of the promotion is benefited, but also the environmental protection in energy saving and carbon reducing effect is expedited.

FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates to an energy saving heat exchanger for a bathing shower, the heat exchanger having a simple structure that significantly decreases manufacturing time and costs and provides enhanced energy saving efficiency so as to make the heat exchanger more affordable and attractive to consumers. Thus, the invention not only provides increased popularity but also offers environmental protection due to increased energy saving and reduced carbon emissions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For the purpose of reducing their carbon footprint, many heat exchangers for bathing showers used in households have been introduced in the market. The design concept is that incoming cold tap water running through the heat exchanger is heated up by hot waste water from the shower, which serves as a thermal source, so that the temperature of the tap water output from the heat exchanger becomes warmer than that of the incoming tap water, the output being directed into an inlet pipe for the water heater of the bathing shower. As a result, the temperature of the inlet water for the water heater of the bathing shower is increased to save energy required for heating the water. Taking China Utility Model Patent No. CN201016505 for title “Water heater of energy saving type” publicized on Feb. 6, 2008 as an example, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, the water heater 10 is made of a metal heat absorbing slab 20, which comprises a hollow chamber 21 with a top surface 24, a water inlet pipe 23 and a water outlet pipe 22 such that said hollow chamber 21, which allows cold tap water W1 flows therein, has one end thereof with water outlet pipe 22 connected to a water intake 11 of the water heater 10 and the other end thereof with water inlet pipe 23 connected to a source of cold tap water W1 (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). Firstly, upon a shower user M starting shower, certain hot shower water W, which comes from the water heater 10 and flow through a water outlet pipe 12, will spray out of the shower sprayer 13; Secondly, the hot shower water W will drop on the top surface 24 of the metal heat absorbing slab 20 after shower on the body of the shower user M, meanwhile certain cold tap water W1 will flow into the chamber 21 of the metal heat absorbing slab 20 via the water inlet pipe 23 to absorb thermal energy of the dropped hot shower water W on the top surface 24 of the metal heat absorbing slab 20 so that the cold tap water W1 becomes warm heat-exchanged water W2; Thirdly, the warm heat-exchanged water W2 then flows out of the water outlet pipe 22 of the metal heat absorbing slab 20; and Finally, the warm heat-exchanged water W2 flows into the water heater 10 via the water intake 11 thereof for serving as warm feeding water (as shown in FIG. 2). Thereby, the energy saving effect for electricity of gas consumption of the water heater 10 is achieved.

Please refer to FIGS. 4 and 5 that show another embodiment for the water heater 10 of a metal heat absorbing slab 200. The metal heat absorbing slab 200 comprises a spiral metal tube 201 having multiple continual coils with a gap S for each pair of adjacent coils, one end thereof with water outlet pipe 22 connected to a water intake 11 of the water heater 10 and the other end thereof with water inlet pipe 23 connected to a source of cold tap water W1. Similar to the circumstance in the metal heat absorbing slab 20, likewise, the operation for the metal heat absorbing slab 200 is recapped below: Firstly, upon a shower user M starting shower, certain hot shower water W, which comes from the water heater 10 and flow through a water outlet pipe 12, will spray out of the shower sprayer 13; Secondly, the hot shower water W will drop on the top surface of the metal heat absorbing slab 200 after shower on the body of the shower user M, meanwhile certain cold tap water W1 will flow into the spiral metal tube 201 of the metal heat absorbing slab 200 via the water inlet pipe 23 to absorb thermal energy of the dropped hot shower water W on the top surface of the metal heat absorbing slab 200 so that the cold tap water W1 becomes warm heat-exchanged water W2; Thirdly, the warm heat-exchanged water W2 then flows out of the water outlet pipe 22 of the metal heat absorbing slab 200; and Finally, the warm heat-exchanged water W2 flows into the water heater 10 via the water intake 11 thereof for serving as warm feeding water (as shown in FIG. 4). Thereby, the energy saving effect for electricity of gas consumption of the water heater 10 is achieved.

However, some drawbacks still exist in the China Utility Model Patent No. CN201016505 as following:

1. Please refer to FIGS. 1 through 3 for metal heat absorbing slab 20. In order to keep the hot shower water W drop on the top surface 24 of the metal heat absorbing slab 20, the shower user M must stand on the top surface 24 of the metal heat absorbing slab 20 so that the metal top surface 24 with hollow chamber 21 beneath will be indented deformation owing to body weight strain of the shower user M for long term use (as hypothetical line shown in FIG. 3). Because metal heat absorbing slab 20 is fabricated by metal welding process, water leakage is incurred from certain metal welding seams on the metal heat absorbing slab 20 being fractured due to indented deformation thereon so that not only the heat exchanging effect will be lost but also certain fractured metal welding seams may cause accidental hurt to the shower user M inadvertently. Moreover, because no circulation directing means is designed in the hollow chamber 21, water turbulences will happen in the chamber 21 after cold tap water W1 flows into therein via the water inlet pipe 23 (as indicting arrow heads shown in FIG. 3) so that the energy saving effect will be considerably decreased in consequence of lowering heat exchanging efficiency.

2. Please refer to FIGS. 4 and 5 for metal heat absorbing slab 200. Likewise, in order to keep the hot shower water W drop on the top surface of the metal heat absorbing slab 200, the shower user M must stand on the top surface of the metal heat absorbing slab 200. Because metal heat absorbing slab 200 is formed by spiral metal tube 201 having multiple continual coils with a gap S for each pair of adjacent coils, the round top surface thereof becomes slippery once hot shower water W drops thereon so that the shower user M stands thereon often suffered from injure inadvertently incurred by falling down due to such round slippery surface (as shown in FIG. 4). That is a menace to the safety of the shower user M. Moreover, all the gaps S between each pair of adjacent coils in the spiral metal tube 201 cause no heat exchanging function as the hot shower water W passes therein without contacting to the spiral metal tube 201 (as shown in FIG. 5) so that the energy saving effect will be considerably decreased in consequence of lowering heat exchanging efficiency.

3. The key process for the manufacturing of metal heat absorbing slab 20 in FIG. 1 and metal heat absorbing slab 200 in FIG. 4 is metal welding process, which cause relative high labor cost in manufacturing expense as metal welding process is often worked by high-skilled technician with high salary to maintain high yield. Moreover, the multiple continual coils with a gap S for each pair of adjacent coils for fabricating the spiral metal tube 201 must processed by a tube-bending machine of high accuracy together with metal welding process for welding connection with water inlet pipe 23 and water outlet pipe 22 respectively so that overall manufacturing cost keep soaring high without possibility of lowering down. Thus, the ex-factory price and retail price for the product of metal heat absorbing slab 20 and 200 become particular high with difficulty for lowering down so that not only the purchasing intention of the consumer is retarded but also the product itself becomes unpopular. Therefore, how to contrive an improved product of heat exchanger for bathing shower with simplified structure and relative low manufacturing cost to satisfy with the purchasing ability and intention of customers seem very critical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a “heat exchanger for bathing shower” with overall simplified structure and supporting strength to bear normal weight of human body, particularly for one has internal circulation directing means to substantially increase energy saving effect in consequence of considerably improving heat exchanging efficiency so that the heat exchanger fabricated by the present invention not only substantially shortens overall process steps and decreases manufacturing cost without necessity to hire metal welding technicians of high salary with result in reducing selling price for being affordable by the purchasing ability of the consumers and for appealing the purchasing intention of the consumers but also enhance overall energy saving effect and prolong service life span with result in encouraging the purchasing intention of the consumers. Thus, the present invention not only facilitates promotion and increases popularity of bathing shower heat exchangers, but also achieves environmental protection by energy saving and reduced carbon footprint.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the first structural schematic view for China Utility Model Patent No. CN201016505.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 as indicated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an operational schematic view for China Utility Model Patent No. CN201016505.

FIG. 4 is the second structural schematic view for China Utility Model Patent No. CN201016505.

FIG. 5 is the third structural schematic view for China Utility Model Patent No. CN201016505.

FIG. 6 is a perspective exploded view showing a heat exchanger for bathing shower of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional schematic view showing a heat exchanger for bathing shower of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 as indicated in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing an installation and operation method of a heat exchanger for bathing shower of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a manufacturing process for a heat exchanging slab of the present invention via extruding method.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a drilling process for a heat exchanging slab of the present invention via drilling tool.

FIG. 12 is a sectional schematic view showing a heat exchanger for bathing shower in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13 as indicated in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the first exemplary embodiment showing a different combination of variant heat exchangers for bathing shower of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of the second exemplary embodiment showing a different combination of variant heat exchangers for bathing shower of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of the third exemplary embodiment showing a different combination of variant heat exchangers for bathing shower of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the fourth exemplary embodiment showing a different combination of variant heat exchangers for bathing shower of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 6 through FIG. 8, a “heat exchanger for bathing shower” of the present invention includes a heat exchanging slab 30 and two sealing covers 40 such that one of the sealing covers 40 is created with a water intake 41 and a water outtake 42, wherein:

The heat exchanging slab 30, which is a flat planar cuboid extruded by alloy metal material, includes a flat top surface 31, a flat bottom surface 32, a front hatch 33, a rear hatch 34, two parallel upright flanks 35, a plurality of parallel water passages 36 penetrated through between the front hatch 33 and rear hatch 34 such that each pair adjacent water passages 36 is partitioned by a septum 37 with a circulating bore 38 created thereon in interlaced stagger manner, which means a bore in upper section of one septum and another bore in lower section of the other septum for each pair of adjacent septa 37 (as shown in FIG. 7); and

each of two sealing covers 40 respectively covers on the front hatch 33 and rear hatch 34 of the heat exchanging slab 30 to closely seal all ends of the water passages 36 in water-tight manner by welding way so that all the water passages 36 together with septa 37 and circulating bores 38 form a close water circulation entirety.

FIG. 7 through FIG. 9, illustrate installation and operation method for a heat exchanger for bathing shower of the present invention. By means of pipe fittings, connect a water inlet pipe 23 of tap water to the water intake 41 on the sealing cover 40 while connect a water intake 11 of a water heater 10 to the water outtake 42 on the same sealing cover 40 to finish the installation before operation (as shown in FIG. 9). Firstly, upon a shower user M starting shower, certain hot shower water W, which comes from the water heater 10 and flow through a water outlet pipe 12, will spray out of the shower sprayer 13; Secondly, the hot shower water W will drop on the flat top surface 31 of the heat exchanging slab 30 after shower on the body of the shower user M, meanwhile certain cold tap water W1 will flow into the water passages 36 of the heat exchanging slab 30 via the water inlet pipe 23 and circulate among all water passages 36 by means of every circulating bore 38 on each septum 37 (as indicating arrow heads shown in FIG. 7) to absorb thermal energy of the dropped hot shower water W on the top surface 31 of the heat exchanging slab 30 so that the cold tap water W1 becomes warm heat-exchanged water W2; Thirdly, the warm heat-exchanged water W2 then flows out of the water outtake 42 on the sealing cover 40 of the heat exchanging slab 30; and Finally, the warm heat-exchanged water W2 flows into the water heater 10 orderly via the water outlet pipe 22 and the water intake 11 thereof for serving as warm feeding water (as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9). Thereby, the energy saving effect for electricity of gas consumption of the water heater 10 is achieved.

It is known from FIGS. 8 and 9 that the plural septa 37 formed between each pair adjacent water passages 36 in the heat exchanging slab 30 of the present invention also serve as props between the flat top surface 31 and flat bottom surface 32 of the heat exchanging slab 30 to be strong enough to completely support normal body weight of a shower user M so that not only the service life span of the heat exchanging slab 30 can be extended due to no indented deformation thereon, but also the shower user M suffered from injure inadvertently incurred by falling down due to such round slippery surface happened as in the metal heat absorbing slab 200 of the China Patent for title “Water heater of energy saving type” in Number of CN201016505 at New Model invention can be avoided because the flat top surface 31 on the heat exchanging slab 30 offers stable platform for shower user M to stand thereon (as shown in FIG. 8).

Moreover, the circulating bore 38, which is created on each septum 37 and makes every pair adjacent water passages 36 become water communicable mutually, serves as a circulation directing means in the heat exchanging slab 30 (as indicating arrow heads shown in FIG. 7) for directing the cold tap water W1 to become a smoothly regular path-oriented stable flow in the heat exchanging slab 30 so that the heat exchanging efficiency of the heat exchanging slab 30 is improved and the energy saving effect of the water heater 10 is substantially increased.

As shown in FIG. 10, the heat exchanging slab 30 of the present invention is manufactured by traditional extruding method. Firstly, by means of extruder A, certain melted aluminum alloy is extruded out of extruding die B into a bar of heat exchanging slab 301; Secondly, by means of cutting tool C, the bar of heat exchanging slab 301 is progressively cut into heat exchanging slabs 30 piece by piece; and Finally, as shown in FIG. 11, by means of drilling tool D, on each of all septa 37, near to the front hatch 33 or rear hatch 34, respectively drill a circulating bores 38 in interlaced stagger manner, which means a bore in upper section of one septum and another bore in lower section of the other septum for each pair of adjacent septa 37 to finish the heat exchanging slab 30 production. Firstly, it is universally known that molding cost for extruding die is only one tenth or less of molding cost for injection mold or die-casting mold; secondly, extruding process, which is a continuous manufacturing process, meets the requirement of mass production; and thirdly, extruding process saves 90% of metal welding process. With foregoing triple favorable benefits for extruding process, which is used in manufacturing the heat exchanging slab 30 of the present invention, the overall manufacturing cost of the present invention can be substantially decreased with result in effectively reducing selling price of the product thereof. Thereby, the consumers are more affordable to purchase the “heat exchanger for bathing shower” of the present invention in consequence of the increasing purchasing intention. Thus, an immediate and noticeable effect for energy saving of electricity and gas consumption in the water heater 10 by promoting usage the “heat exchanger for bathing shower” of the present invention can be quickly achieved.

Please further refer to FIGS. 12 and 13, which show a heat exchanger of cambered for bathing shower in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The heat exchanger here comprises a cambered heat exchanging slab 50 and two cambered sealing covers 60, wherein said cambered heat exchanging slab 50 includes a cambered top surface 51, a cambered bottom surface 52 with two water intakes 501 and a water outtake 502 beneath, a cambered front hatch 53, a cambered rear hatch 54, two flanks, a plurality of parallel water passages 56 penetrated through between the front hatch 53 and rear hatch 54 such that each pair adjacent water passages 56 is partitioned by a septum 57 with a circulating bore 58 created thereon in interlaced stagger manner, which means a bore in upper section of one septum and another bore in lower section of the other septum for each pair of adjacent septa 57 (as shown in FIG. 13); and each of two cambered sealing covers 60 respectively covers on the front hatch 53 and rear hatch 54 of the cambered heat exchanging slab 50 to closely seal all ends of the water passages 56 in water-tight manner by welding way so that all the water passages 56 together with septa 57 and circulating bores 58 form a close water circulation entirety to have energy saving effect for the water heater 10.

The alloy metal material used in the foregoing heat exchanging slab 30 or cambered heat exchanging slab 50 can be replaced by synthetic non-metal compound material with heat conductivity such as carbon fiber for serving in heat exchanging function with hot shower water W to still maintain energy saving effect for the water heater 10.

Please refer to FIGS. 14 through 17, which show various exemplary embodiments in different combination of variant heat exchangers for bathing shower of the present invention, wherein FIG. 14 is an exemplary embodiment showing a combination of inverted triangle for three heat exchanging slabs 30 by means of pipes P to properly connect to each water intake and water outtake thereof respectively to form a close water circulation entirety so that the energy saving effect for the water heater 10 is improved as the heat exchanging time with hot shower water W is prolonged.

FIG. 15 is another exemplary embodiment showing a combination of mutually skew angle for two heat exchanging slabs 30 by means of pipes P to properly connect to each water intake and water outtake thereof respectively to form a close water circulation entirety so that the energy saving effect for the water heater 10 is improved as the heat exchanging time with hot shower water W is prolonged.

FIG. 16 is another further exemplary embodiment showing a stack combination of back-to-back arrangement for two cambered heat exchanging slabs 50 by means of pipes P to properly connect to each water intake and water outtake thereof respectively to form a close water circulation entirety so that the energy saving effect for the water heater 10 is improved as the heat exchanging time with hot shower water W is prolonged.

FIG. 17 is the other exemplary embodiment showing a stack combination of back-to-back arrangement for a heat exchanging slabs 30 in top and a cambered heat exchanging slabs 50 in bottom by means of pipes P to properly connect to each water intake and water outtake thereof respectively to form a close water circulation entirety so that the energy saving effect for the water heater 10 is improved as the heat exchanging time with hot shower water W is prolonged.

In conclusion of the disclosures heretofore, the present invention not only can indeed achieve the purpose of substantially decreasing overall manufacturing cost owing to innovative simplified structure and relatively less manufacturing process, but also the energy saving effect for electricity and gas used in the water heater 10 can be highly improved. Accordingly, the present invention meets the patentable criterion. 

1. A structure of a heat exchanger for bathing shower comprises a heat exchanging slab and two sealing covers such that one of the sealing covers is created with a water intake and a water outtake, wherein said heat exchanging slab, which is a flat planar cuboid extruded by alloy metal material, includes a flat top surface, a flat bottom surface, a front hatch, a rear hatch, two parallel upright flanks, a plurality of parallel water passages penetrated through between the front hatch and rear hatch such that each pair adjacent water passages is partitioned by a septum with a circulating bore created thereon in interlaced stagger manner, which means a bore in upper section of one septum and another bore in lower section of the other septum for each pair of adjacent septa; and each of two sealing covers respectively covers on the front hatch and rear hatch of the heat exchanging slab to closely seal all ends of the water passages in water-tight manner by welding way so that all the water passages together with septa and circulating bores form a close water circulation entirety.
 2. A structure of a heat exchanger for bathing shower as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alloy metal material is aluminum alloy, copper or copper alloy.
 3. A structure of a heat exchanger for bathing shower as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alloy metal material is replaced by synthetic non-metal compound material with heat conductivity.
 4. A structure of a heat exchanger for bathing shower as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flat planar cross section shapes of the heat exchanging slab and two sealing covers are adapted into cambered cross section shapes, wherein said cambered heat exchanging slab includes a cambered top surface, a cambered bottom surface with two water intakes and a water outtake beneath, a cambered front hatch, a cambered rear hatch, two flanks, a plurality of parallel water passages penetrated through between the front hatch and rear hatch such that each pair adjacent water passages is partitioned by a septum with a circulating bore created thereon in interlaced stagger manner; and each of two cambered sealing covers respectively covers on the front hatch and rear hatch to closely seal all ends of the water passages in water-tight manner so that all the water passages together with septa and circulating bores form a close water circulation entirety. 